The invention resides in an arrangement for machining workpieces including at least a first machining station in which the workpieces can be machined during a machining work cycle comprising a machining phase and a transport phase and a transport unit including a first workpiece accommodation structure to which the workpieces of the first machining station can be delivered during the transport phase by transporting them in a transport direction.
Such an arrangement has been manufactured and sold by the assignee of the present application for many years. In the known arrangement, metal cans are supplied via a transport unit in the form of a drum to a machining station, in which the rims of the cans are cut. After the rims have been cut the respective can is transferred to a receiving unit by which the cans are transferred to a further station for further machining.
Since the cutting of the rims of the cans is relatively time consuming and, during this time, no other actions can be performed by the arrangement the throughput volume of the arrangement is determined by the machining station. That is, the throughput of the arrangement is limited by the time required for the cutting of the can rims. However, since the cutting of the rims takes a relatively long time, the throughput volume of the arrangement is relatively small.
It is the object of the present invention to increase the throughput of an arrangement for machining workpieces as described above and to supply the workpieces to the machining stations in a simple and safe manner while at least two other workpieces are machined.